EU to Send 20-Member Group to Armenia Amid Russian Influence Attempts

The European Union is preparing to assist Armenia in avoiding Russian interference in the parliamentary elections scheduled for June by first deploying a "hybrid rapid response team" to combat Kremlin disinformation, followed potentially by a more permanent civilian mission in this South Caucasian country.

This information was reported by “Azatutyun.” The media outlet has obtained a letter addressed to Brussels from Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, in which he requested the rapid response team to be sent to Yerevan on February 13.

The EU had previously sent a similar 20-member team to Chișinău during last year’s parliamentary elections to help Moldovan authorities detect and counteract disinformation spreading from Russia on social networks. Both Brussels and Chișinău have deemed that project successful, and the EU now aims to replicate this in Armenia, where Russia is expected to try to exert influence during crucial elections.

According to diplomatic notes received from discussions in Brussels, the EU intends to “support strengthening Armenia’s democratic resilience and information integrity both ahead of the June 2026 elections and during the ongoing peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” adding that “the support offered to Armenia must be clearly aimed at reducing and mitigating destabilizing activities from Russia.”

Reportedly, EU member states have also appealed to the diplomatic corps and the external action service, urging them to “continue engaging with Azerbaijan to explain the purpose of the support being provided to Armenia by the EU and emphasize the necessity of avoiding negative impacts on the peace process.”

Baku has previously expressed concerns regarding both the non-lethal military assistance being provided to Armenia by the EU in recent years and the current EU observation mission in Armenia that has been active since 2023 on the Armenian side of the border with Azerbaijan, with a mandate to build confidence and monitor the situation.

If approved, the new mission will focus more on hybrid threats, including “the protection of the integrity of the electoral process and potentially the subsequent constitutional referendum.”

According to several EU diplomats interviewed by “Azatutyun,” the parties aim to launch the mission before the EU-Armenia summit scheduled for May 4 in Yerevan. This means that a decision on this matter needs to be made during March, though the process is not straightforward.

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